pic: Poor Man's Omni Wheel

[Sean Schuff]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

What material is used on the white rollers? It looks like nylon. Are you planning to cover the rollers with some friction material?

Ideally they would have excellent friction (grip) in the wheel rotation direction, and roll freely sidesways.

Actually tbmantia's link (http://omniwheel.com/transwheel/transwheel-4000.htm) has the exact same rollers we are using. They are the synthetic rubber coated polypropylene roller. Excellent rigidity at the core with a very "grippy" surface. We have yet to test them to their full limit but are confident they will work out well even if they need to be swapped out periodically. Ease of maintenance and low cost make replacing them as they wear a relative non-issue.

One of the other positive characteristics of the barrel rollers is their football shape. This makes rolling a lot less bumpy and makes for more solid contact on and between rollers.

One other spec I failed to mention - they are 6" diameter wheels to the outside of the barrel rollers.

Stop by our pits in Cleveland, Milwaukee and/or Atlanta to see them up close and get a status report on their effectiveness.

Sean